Recording mechanism



Nov. 29, 1938. F. LOEFFLER RECORDING MECHANISM Filed July 16, 1937INVENTOR fu /(s ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENTorrlcs 2,138,110 ancoanme MncnAmsM Fritz Loefiler, New York, N. Y.Application July 16, 1937, Serial No. 153,880

4 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in recordingmechanism, and particularly to recording mechanisms in which the recordis made on a web of paper continuously 5 movedby a clock mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which may be readilyand accurately adjusted without introducing undue complications.

With this object in view I provide certain improved instrumentalities,of which the following are noted: v

The gear train through which the clock mechanism drives the recording.web is-arranged for ready adjustment to eliminate backlash; means areprovided toeliminate play in the driving roll of the recording web;means are provided to compensate for manufacturing irregularities in theconstruction and mounting of the supporting brackets of the driving,guiding and take-01f rollers. I

These and other features of theinvention will more clearly appear from apreferred embodiment thereofwhich will be described with the aid of thedrawing in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of as much of the recordingmechanism as is necessary for a clear understanding of the presentinvention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary illustration 'of the gearing;

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detailed views of the mount- 1 ing of one of therollers; and

Fig. 7 is a cross-section along line of Fi l.

The mechanism is mounted on a base plate I. The clock mechanism, thedetails of which are not shown, is within a casing 2 fastened to thebase plate.

The record is made on the usual paper Web ID, a supply of which ismounted on a roller 3. One pin 4 of the roller is journaled in a sidewall of the casing 2, and the opposite pin 5 engages a'leaf spring 8mounted on a forked bracket I. The bracket 1 has a foot 8 which isfastened to the base plate I by means of two screws 3. The roller 3 aswell as the two other rollers I2 and I3 over which the paper I passes,must be accu- To insure accurate positioning of the bracket I I and tocompensate for manufacturing inaccuracies, a screw-threaded stud II isdriven through the base plate I and engages the bottom of the foot 8between the screws -9. By means of the two screws 9 and thescrew-threaded stud accurate positioning of the bracket and thereforethe roller'3 is insured. Bracket 46, supporting one end of roller I3, issimilarly mounted. As best shown in Fig. 7, the screw Ila engagesthefoot of the bracket in' alignment with the bracket proper, wherebyadjustment of the bracket in all directions is made possible; within theobvious limitations of the structure, the bracket can be swung into anyangular position with respect to its axis and firmly held in end a gearwheel |5 by means of a thumb nut I6 screwed on the screw-threadedprojecting end I! of the shaft.

The other end of the shaft I4 is supported in abracket 29, a foot-2| of.which is held again the base plate I by means of screws 22. To insureaccurate positioning and to guard against wear and end play of shaft I4,its bearing surface is not directly in the bracket 20 but in-a bearing23 which is screwed into the bracket 20 and through which projects thenarrowed end 24 of shaft l4. The bearing 23 engages the shoulder formedby the shaft I4 and prevents end play.

The roller I2 is driven by motive power supplied from two clock springs(not shown) in casing 2 and which may be wound up by means ofsquare-shouldered shafts 25 and 26, respectively. The clock mechanism isregulated by the usual escapement device (not shown), the shaft of whichprojects'through the housing 2 and has fastened to its screw-threadedend 21 by means of a knurled thumbscrew 28, a gear wheel 28. Power istransmitted to the shaft I4 throughgears 28, 30, 3| and I5. It will benoted that the gears '30, 3| which couple the, gear 29 to gear I5 do nothave their centers in alignment with the centers of gears I5 and 29.Furthermore, the two gears 30 and 3| are not mounted on the side wall oicasing 2. These twogears are mounted by means of screws 32 and 33,respectively, on mounting plates 34 and 35, respectively.

These mounting plates are fastened to the side wall of easing 2 byscrews projecting through two relatively large holes indicated in eachmounting plate. By holding in place these mounting plates by means ofscrews which loosely fit within the holes of the mounting plates, and byhaving the mounting plates project beyondthe circumference of the gears'30 and ill,

its rigidity without sacrificing lightness and.

without preventing ready access to supply spool 3, the end of the tableI2 is formed into a triangular rib 40. This rib 40 partly overlies arm4! projecting from and integral with the bracket 20. The arm 4| is bentout of the plane of the bracket 20 and serves as a rigid support of thetable i2, to which the rib is fastened with two screws. The oppositeedge of the table I! is bent down and is fastened to the side wall ofcasing 2.

The web 10 is provided with marginal perforations such as 42 whichengage pins 43 projecting from the roller l2. Three pins are equallyspaced around the left-hand edge of roller l2 and three pins aresimilarly spaced on the righthand edge of the roller l2, but staggeredwith respect to the pins on the left-hand edge. The purpose of thisarrangement is to reduce the friction opposing the moving of the web land yet insure engagement of the perforations in one edge or the otherof the web by the pins and thus prevent slippage of the web. I havefound that instead of the customary arrangement of providing six pinsnear each edge of the roller I2, three pins provided in each edge willproduce the same traction 'and reduce the resistance offered by the pinsto about one half.

The take-off roller l3 has a shaft .45, one endof which is supported inthe bracket 46, and the other end is hollowed out as indicated at 41,and has a pin 48 driven through it. Within the hollowed-out portions 41fits the slotted end 49 of a spring-driven-shaft which will drive shaft45 through the pin 48. The mechanism (not shown) for driving this shaftis also enclosed within the casing 2 and in the drawing I have shownonly the winding stud 50 of this clock mechanism.

It will be seen that once the paper web iii is positioned with respectto the usual recording stylus (not shown), neither gear back-lash norroller end-play will disturb the accuracy of the adjustment. It will befurther observed that great accuracy of adjustment is possible althoughthe brackets, rollers, gears, etc., are mass products instead of thetypes usually encountered in precision instruments.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a shaft, means including a first gear carried by saidshaft and a second gear for driving said shaft, a common plate on whichsaid second gear is mounted and in which said shaft is journaled, athird and a fourth intermeshed gears for coupling said first andsecondgears, a separate mounting plate for each of said third and fourthgears, the centersof the latter being out of the line connecting thecenters of the first and second gears, and means for adjustably mountingsaid separate mounting plates on the first mentioned plate, wherebyclose adjustment may be readily effected between each pair ofintermeshing gears.

2. In a recording device, a web of paper having perforations along itstwo margins, a roller for advancing said web having pins along its.

two edges projecting through the perforations in the web, the pins alongone edge being staggered with respect to the pins at the other edge ofthe roller, a device continuously tending to pull said web of paper awayfrom said roller, means for rotating said roller, said means including agear fastened to said roller and a second gear, a third gear engagingthe first gear, a fourth gear engaging the third and the second gears, amounting plate for each of said third and fourth gears part of whichprojects beyond the peripheries of said third and fourth gears, saidmounting plates having relatively large apertures for adjustablemounting and which are covered by the gears, the centers of the thirdand fourth gears being out of alignment with the centers of the firstand second gears.

3. I.n a recording device having a recording web, a roller for advancingsaid web, mechanism for driving one end of said roller, a shoulderedstud projecting from the other end of said roller, a bracket, and anexternally screw-threaded bearing in said bracket holding the end ofsaid studand engaging the shoulder thereon.

4. In a recording device having a supply of recording web, a roller foradvancing web from' said supply, a table of sheet metal covering saidsupply and on which the advancing web rests, said table being ofsubstantially the same width as said roller and having one edge turneddown, the turned-down edge being tapered towards an end of the table togive rlgidity to said table and still permit ready access to saidsupply, a

